C Y B ER S C E

PROJECT EVALUATION N E REPORT Overcoming victim blaming and bystander

effects through social theatre

ELLEN J. HELSPER TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3 Quick note on methodology 4 Synopsis of main story lines in the play Cookies 5 Attitudes, Perceptions and General Online Behaviour 6 General attitudes and motivations 6 General online behaviour: pleasures and dislikes 7 Awareness, Knowledge and Risk Perception 10 Literacy, Skills and Resilience 14 General digital literacy 14 Resilience and experience 16 Social context and support structures (mediation) 19 Turning Points 23 Summary and Recommendations 27 Project Reference Material 31

Please reference this report in the following way:

Helsper, E.J. (2020) Overcoming victim blaming and bystander effects through social theatre: Masterclass Cyberscene project evaluation. London (UK): LSE & Theatre Royal Haymarket’s Masterclass Trust. Available at: https://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and- communications/research/research-projects/disto/Cyberscene INTRODUCTION

OVERCOMING VICTIM BLAMING AND BYSTANDER EFFECTS THROUGH SOCIAL THEATRE

This short report evaluates the Cyberscene project Quotes from ensemble members in Masterclass’ which set out to tackle issues around internal report on the Cyberscene project are also by directly engaging London teenagers in the used and anonymised for this publication. production of an original theatre play around the topic. This resulted in 12 workshops, the script While the broader goal of the project related to writing and staging of a full theatre play (Cookies), a creating awareness around cyberbullying, a more long film recording of the play by the Theatre Royal immediate and important aspect of Cyberscene Haymarket Masterclass Trust (Masterclass), as well was to give young people a way of trying out theatre, as the production of 5 short films by the LSE. This expressing themselves and having their voices heard short report evaluates the project and builds on four in an area that is dominated by adult opinion. This sources of data: qualitative data gathered through report, therefore, starts by giving the young people participant observation during the workshops, survey who participated a chance to say, in their own words, data collected in three waves, the Cookies script and what they gained from being part of Cyberscene the short films produced by LSE. The Cookies Play/ and the play Cookies beyond learning about Cyberscene project won the Outstanding Drama cyberbullying1. Education Resources at the 2020 Music and Drama Education Awards. I met new people and I have learned new acting skills The report is organised around five central themes specified in advance in the agreed evaluation framework: Attitudes, Perceptions and General I improved my English skills, Online Behaviour; Awareness, Knowledge and Risk I made a lot of friends perception; Literacy, Skills and Resilience; Social Context and Support Structures; and Turning Points. I enjoy being part of Cookies. For all of these questions were posed that this report The Cookies is in my heart answers by exploring the different data sources and by looking at how these translated into the play. Being able to multitask and think/act quickly on the spot

1 Most quotes in the report come from the open ended questions in the surveys that were used to evaluate the project but some are derived 3 from the internal evaluation report from Masterclass. QUICK NOTE ON METHODOLOGY

Cyberscene was evaluated through participant their names so that we could track who had and observation in the workshops and a survey that had not completed the survey and connect the was conducted in three waves. Participants were different waves of the survey. Seven individuals asked to fill out the first one during the first round participated in both the second and third wave of workshops, the second one at the end of the survey and for these a separate analysis of workshops and the third after the play had been change in opinions and knowledge will be done staged. The participants were given a link to fill whenever the results are interesting. the survey out anonymously. They were asked for

TABLE 1: CHARACTERISTICS SURVEY PARTICIPANTS IN THE THREE WAVES

Table 1 shows a slight difference in the gender The survey data were used alongside the notes composition of the participants in the survey taken during four out of the 12 workshops that for the different waves. This should be taken Ellen Helsper attended. She also attended 2 into consideration when looking at the results. rehearsals for the play during which notes were Whenever there is the suspicion that the gender taken. difference might explain the differences in the answers between waves this will be noted. At no point were identifiable survey data made available to anyone except Ellen Helsper (LSE researcher) and files were kept securely to protect the young people’s privacy and confidentiality of their answers.

4 SYNOPSIS OF MAIN STORYLINES IN THE PLAY ‘COOKIES’

STORYLINE 1 (VIOLENCE) STORYLINE 3 ()

SOSA is a North London Black lesbian, her thirteen SIMON, JC and ANDY are friends living in London. year old sister was killed and it is clear that she SIMON was dating EVA but they fall out at a party. lives in a violent neighbourhood. She is a big fan He hears from JC (who heard this from ANDY who of MakDown (MD), a female London rapper (not heard it from SALENA) that EVA had been with staged in the play). On her way to a birthday party someone else that same night. In a moment of she meets MD in an off license. They connect over he forwards nude pictures that EVA sent of music and shared live histories. Then MD gets herself, to JC and ANDY. These pictures end up on attacked on the street and SOSA stands helpless. Facebook. EVA, who is trying to establish herself Passers-by film it and videos start circulating as a dancer on YouTube, starts being harassed online accompanied by announcements of MD’s by strangers online and through messages on her death and homophobic . SOSA can’t stop mobile. The police find out that SIMON was the neither the fake news nor the online hate. MD original source of the photos and show up at his dies with SOSA there, leaving her with the lyrics house to tell him that he is guilty of distributing to Cookies. . EVA tries to kill herself, survives and moves to a different school where she becomes friends with SOSA who brings her STORYLINE 2 (GROOMING) back to hip hop and dancing.

SALENA is a Muslim teenager, who experiences on and offline on a daily basis because of her faith and ethnicity. She starts an online interaction with RAYAH who convinces her that she should do what she did: come to Syria to marry a handsome Mujahedeen and support the fight for Islamic State (IS). Partly driven by online islamophobia, SALENA turns away from her friends and goes as far as to pack her bags. She is told to “go back to where you came from” on a bus. Then SOSA sits next to her, shares her earphones and they find that they both like MD’s music. This kind act in combination with news of a mass solidarity rally after an attack on a Muslim makes SOSA change her mind. She reconnects with friends and turns her back on RAYAH and IS.

5 ATTITUDES, PERCEPTION, AND GENERAL ONINE BEHAVIOUR2

Cyberbullying does not exist in a vacuum; it takes Thus, any discussion needs to balance out these place on devices and platforms on which young two sides, understand that there are both positive people undertake many other activities. Of course and negative aspects of the digital world and that their own experiences influence in what they think young people recognise the benefits as well as Information and Communication Technologies the risks, struggling to find a way to make the (ICTs) are good or bad for. However, their friends, overall experience a wholesome one. parents, teachers and the media also shape the attitudes and the perceptions that they have This is very well illustrated by what one of the which influence how they look at cyberbullying. ensemble members said: Therefore, this report starts by answering the following question: So many big experiences in my life come from the internet. I know quite a number of What do we think about ICTs in general, my closest friends through social media. what are the benefits, what are the risks, how does our social environment If someone had told me 10 years ago that see ICTs or influences us in interaction my best friend would be someone I only on and with them in a certain way? know because of social media, I’d have thought they were crazy.

GENERAL ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATIONS But as much as I owe to the internet, it also has a bad side. I have cried so many times because of things said on . While this project focusses on the more negative aspects of online interactions and behaviours, it is important to not lose track of the wider In the survey, we asked participants what their context in which these are embedded. ICTs are attitudes towards ICTs were in relation to a here to stay, and there is a reason why they are series of statements that tackled both individual popular, there are many benefits to be had. As motivations to use them as well as more general in the world we lived in before the Internet came abstract attitudes towards ICTs. Figure 1 shows along, there are opportunities and risks to living that overall attitudes are positive with high in a digital world. Recommendations in relation to levels of agreement with statements such as cyberbullying and participating in this world can “technologies make life easier” and “there are a lot therefore not be to completely disconnect. They of good things online”. The doubts about whether offer opportunities for learning and connecting or not online interactions are an overall good thing with others that are unprecedented, and can be seen in average levels of agreement with disengaging from this completely has negative the constant danger of harassment and , consequences leaving young people isolated and fears about how what we do now influences our with less future prospects. future opportunities and the fear of being left

2 behind if we do not catch up. 6 LSE short film for Cyberscene on Attitudes and Perceptions FIGURE 1: ATTITUDES TOWARDS ICTS ALL PARTICIPANTS IN WAVES I, II AND III

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9 * These questions were not asked in waves II and III

The participants who made it through to the There was sometimes a fine line between bullying end of the project and answered the third wave and social pressures to conform to certain ideal of the survey seem to have come from a social types, reflecting the difficulty in managing online environment that was more supportive in terms interactions. They offer the best and the worst of ICT use and its benefits, evidenced by more that ICTs have to offer to these young people encouragement from family members and thinking and there are blurred lines between a free that there were a lot of good things online. environment in which to establish and maintain strong relationships and bonds, presenting the best image of yourself, conforming to social GENERAL ONLINE BEHAVIOUR: PLEASURES pressures and bullying of those who do not AND DISLIKES conform. When asked which things young people most In the words of the participants: enjoyed online, the potential for connection and maintaining relationships in informal relaxed environments clearly dominated. However, these I think that people my age mostly enjoy the were not seen as isolated activities and were possibility of communicating with others no often intimately linked with entertainment and matter where they are, being up to date with learning or keeping up to date. celebrity news or events. Also, being able to share their passions/talents, for instance There was more diversity in the types of things that photography, drawing. were considered negative. Ranging from fraud, hacking, creation of fake accounts, bullying, privacy invasion, trolling, undesirable violent or I think most people like the feeling of being sexual content, pressures to present yourself in noticed or having the ability to connect with certain ways, addiction but also practical aspects the outside world much more than we were like technology failing or batteries running out. able to in the past.

7 South v North London hostilities exist and can play [They are] being judged by their selfie out further over the net because of the ease of so [they] put a lot of make up to try hide spreading messages and connecting people who imperfections or even just filter and lighting. are in different parts of the city or country. And [They are afraid of] being exposed or talked about in a bad way, hate comments and of course, there’s the effortlessness with which not getting the recognition they want from Simon, JC, ANDY and others can send, save and someone forward the nude pictures. Social media being on devices we have with us all the time, which we share with our closest friends and family, allows How easy it is for people who would usually existing and to reach be outcasts to turn on that and use it to epic proportions and for it to be unescapable in create hate. Trolls on twitter can be so Eva’s storyline. damaging, and they can be persistent to an extreme point. In the survey we asked about the types of social and cultural activities participants undertook online and outcomes related to these experiences. In the workshops, there was a clear difference Figure 2 shows that most frequent interactions between the first and the second round of were with others who were known in everyday life workshops and the rehearsals and activities and that discussions focus on social issues that around the play where a more nuanced idea are of direct interest to the participants. In the emerged of online social interactions and what workshops, social media were seen as important is appropriate and who is responsible for how we for interactions with friends and family, that behave online. The perceptions went from seeing is, people already known to the participants. social interaction as driven by the technology Those who participated in the play and filled and inevitable, to understanding that the social out the third round of surveys were more active space was constructed by the users and their online especially when it came to social learning environment as much as by objective features of experiences that might be outside the person’s the technology. comfort zone and to explore relationships with people or talk about topics that were less familiar This aspect, emphasising how users and design to them. of technology together act to create toxic or positive environments, came out in all storylines The workshops showed that these interactions in the play. For example, Salena goes online to were enjoyable though not always without hitches. check on the news of an attack on a Muslim and Participants told stories about gaffs made through she cannot but avoid seeing the hate reactions the autocomplete functions, and sending things that are posted underneath, with hashtags that to the wrong person and misinterpretations of connect this message to other messages. The emoticons. All of these were more problematic exists offline but the technology spreads when the others were less familiar or when there it like wildfire. A similar thing occurs with the was no regular face to face interaction with the death of MakDown and the RIP message posted others involved in the discussions. on social media afterwards. No matter that Sosa knows they are untrue and posts things to rectify, what has already been posted takes prominence because of the reactions it gets and becomes an undeletable fact. 8 FIGURE 2 ONLINE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ALL PARTICIPANTS IN WAVES I, II, AND III

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9

Figure 3 confirms that online interaction brings Later workshops showed less acceptance of these risks with it such as being confronted with others micro-aggressions and brought out more extreme that make one uncomfortable, though they forms of cyberbullying. This might be because indicated less exposure to the more extreme those who had experienced it themselves were types of negative content. In the workshops, more likely to stick with the workshops and when participants were asked to reflect on the become part of the ensemble casts than those good and the bad of online interactions, everyday who had just an interest in theatre or the topic annoyances took prominence over more severe more in general. cases of cyberbullying and harassment and were seen as an inevitable part of being online, especially during the first round of workshops.

FIGURE 3: EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SOCIAL CULTURAL ONLINE ACTIVITIES IN WAVES I, II, AND III

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9 9 AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND RISK PERCEPTION3

This section will try to answer the question There was however, some development in around the participants’ awareness of and thinking about who the bullies were and what the understandings of cyberbullying on its own and in consequences might be. In the early workshops, relation to other behaviours. the notion existed that cyberbullying was separate from other types of bullying, a separation of the What do we know about cyberbullying, offline and online was also present. This idea where does it take place, what is its perpetuated the myth of cyberbullying being likelihood and what is the severity of purely online, even amongst this young age group its consequences, who is most likely to whose online and offline lives were intermingled. suffer from it, who is most likely to They seemed to be talking about this topic as be the bully? outside observers echoing public discourses in the media and politics rather than something that was happening in their lives to people they knew. In rounds two and three of the survey, when participants were asked to give a definition of Some made the link between the offline and the cyberbullying, different types of perspectives online, emphasising that one of the problems with could be defined. There were some very basic cyberbullying was that this was done amongst descriptions that showed a quite narrow friends. In the workshops, it appeared that this understanding (i.e. for example only sending awareness was not there during the earlier messages) or a lack of ability to put a finger on workshops when there was still a discourse what it really was, other than bad. These basic that emphasised individual, isolated bullies and definitions continued to exist in the third wave victims. with the young people who had participated in the play. Cyber bullying is when a particular person or group are affected in many Cyber bullying is an unnecessary ways by other people or groups that thing that is used to destroy people have hurt, humiliated and tend to carry in a very deep way. on through using technology.

Cyber bullying is bullying someone online, for example via social media. Cyber bullying is when someone you may know from the college or work place would come online and by Verbally bullying people using putting negative comments and putting technology people down.

3 10 LSE short film on Awareness Knowledge And Risk Perception There was an understanding that the persistence It also makes it hard for them to realise that they of this behaviour, the accumulation of smaller might be involved in cyberbullying themselves. acts of harassment over time, could have severe Because of this participants had a hard time consequences. In the workshops, this perception understanding, especially at the beginning that shifted from one illustrated by extreme cases cyberbullying is also caused by others condoning as presented in the media to understanding bullying as just harmless fun or facilitate and that it was often smaller things that composed encourage it through the forwarding of messages. cyberbullying and that the consequences could be After the third wave, that is after the play had less extreme but nonetheless no less damaging. been staged, awareness had increased in that to understand and define bullying one needed to look at the intentions and characteristics It’s mentally and emotionally abusing of the bully as much as those who were on the someone through the use of internet receiving end of persistent negative behaviour. A that could lead to suicidal or physical realisation emerged that everyone was capable abuse if failed to prevent it. of being mean under the ‘right’ circumstances.

Participants questioned what the point was of cyberbullying. In response, some argued that Continuous, repeated and targeted it was done because there were no negative bullying of an individual by one or more, consequences, no and that some via online devices such as mobile people were just evil. Again few realised that phones and social media sites. some of their actions or inactions might have constituted cyberbullying. There was push back towards trying to understand the causes of bullying in the workshops with participants The emphasis on the effects on the individual wanting to emphasize the consequences; feeling victim over the characteristics of the bully like the biggest problem is that there is a lack of reflects a larger problem with our understanding understanding of those at the receiving end of of cyberbullying, something that came out in the smaller acts of bullying. workshops as well. This misunderstanding is the idea that the cyberbully or cyberbullying is always The focus on extremer cases of cyberbullying intentionally and consciously evil: a sort of boogie as presented in the media and as present in man. the concerns of policy makers and parents pushed us to include a question around how Cyberbullying is the act of tormenting likely cyberbullying is in comparison to other and abusing someone online with risks one might run online and how severe the the intention of hurting them. consequences might be when this happened to someone. Hiding behind electronic devices to and bully someone who is emotionally vulnerable It can make someone feel like nothing, like the have no value on this earth. This boogie man image made it hard for the participants to understand that cyberbullying often starts out as a attempts to be popular, based in a lack of confidence and struggles over power within the peer group. 11 FIGURE 4 PERCEPTION OF LIKELIHOOD OF DIFFERENT RISKS ALL PARTICIPANTS IN WAVES I, II AND III

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9 *This questions was not asked in wave III. **This question was not asked in waves II and III.

The highest likelihood of risk was perceived to this sort of psychological bullying and one be “seeing explicit images of violence” in wave explanation might be that the third wave had two of the survey but this was closely followed by more women in it. The script and ideas generated “cyberbullying and personal data being tracked” by young people in the workshops initially had all (see Figure 4). There were clear differences victims as female all perpetrators as male. This between the participants who filled out the first was later rectified so that it was not only male and the third waves of the survey. Those in the on female bullying but also showed female on third waves rated the likelihood of cyberbullying female ideological grooming such as in the online much higher than those in the first round. Other relationship between Rayah and Salena and risks such as identity theft or wrongful use of male on male homophobic bullying such as in the personal data were perceived as lower in risk. We scenes where Andy ‘teases’ JC. know that women are more likely to be victims of

FIGURE 5 PERCEPTION OF LEVEL OF HARM DIFFERENT RISKS ALL PARTICIPANTS

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9 *This questions was not asked in wave III **This question was not asked in waves II and III

12 Figure 5 shows a similar pattern for the perception Overall, there was a development towards a more of how harmful cyberbullying might be, though nuanced understanding of what cyberbullying there the differences were less pronounced. The was and who it affected over the course of potential for severe harm was the highest for the workshops. When asked about what they cyberbullying across all rounds with the exception learned by participating in the workshops and of the perception of harm of digital identity theft the play participants moved from seeing it as in wave one and two. an easy to recognise thing that happens only to specific (other, weak) people done only by badly This is interesting in light of what the workshops intentioned individuals, towards thinking about showed, especially during the first ones, the cyberbullying in more nuanced and complex harms from low level cyber bullying were often ways. Two participants gave a good summary of ignored, and the idea that cyberbullying had this learning process: severe consequences such as suicide was based on the few cases that were extreme examples of cyberbullying as reported on in the media and [I learned] that it comes in all different depicted in the play. forms. And that it really isn’t limited to between teenagers. It can be 40 year Through the grooming for extremism story line old men harassing a child even though it becomes clear it is often smaller things or it is treated as a teenage problem. wider discourses in society that make a person vulnerable to this kind of negative behaviour and influenced the extent to which they are affected Everyone experiences cyberbullying by it. For example, the ‘recruitment’ of Salena differently whether it’s through private would have been much harder had she not been messages and others having things discriminated and bullied offline for who she was intended for private use being put on and if the emphasis had not been on finding a public display. ‘prince/warrior/who would come and save her.

One of the issues that was discussed in the The play showed that often bullying takes place workshops was that the physicality of offline unintentionally or escalates beyond the original bullying made it easier to recognise and also intentions of the individuals that end up in perceived as more painful. One conclusion situations that they seemingly cannot escape about the difference between traditional and out of with consequences that go far beyond the cyberbullying is that there is a greater change of initially intended ones. This is illustrated by EVA’s things escalating online, that it could go really lines towards the end of the play quickly from discomfort to and even suicide. This same discussion also showed that (Eva) I can’t go online, I can’t check my phone, the exposure to worst case scenarios, such I can’t go to college, as those presented in the press with very dire I’m completely alone. circumstances, made it harder to see simple My dance career has been ruined forever, everyday pestering as bullying, in a way there And if I can’t dance…, was desensitization towards the more prevalent forms of cyberbullying. These types of everyday The play suggested that after this escalation has pestering do not make good storylines and thus taken place only an intervention from the outside show up less often and were hard to write into or an external party can turn the situation around the play. (more about this in the turning points section).

13 LITERACY, SKILLS AND RESILIENCE4

This section addresses questions around digital It is unlikely that a person can develop skills and literacy and how we cope with negative experiences resilience in light of cyberbullying if they are not online. In particular it looks at whether we are aware of what they are but on the other hand, able to prevent them from occurring, what our awareness and knowledge of cyberbullying does skills are in interacting with others to prevent not automatically lead to avoiding becoming us or others being the subject of or (unwittingly) involved or preventing others from falling victim participating in cyberbullying. to cyberbullying. Therefore, awareness and knowledge are discussed separately from literacy, That is, what are the skills needed skills and resilience in this report. to be able to navigate the online world taking up opportunities and GENERAL DIGITAL LITERACY avoiding risks that lead to harm from cyberbullying? We had very few measures of literacy in the survey but what the results did show was that overall skills and confidence in using ICTs to interact As the short films show these types of literacy with others were higher amongst those who had and skills are hard to separate from awareness gone through the whole process of the workshops and knowledge4. and participation in the play. These differences are neither large nor statistically significant but the trend is there (see figure 6)5.

FIGURE 6 SKILL LEVELS OF ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR WAVES I, II AND III

4 Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9 LSE short film on Literacy, Skills and Resilience

5 It should be noted that it might be those with higher confidence levels to start with that persisted until the end. 14 The only skill that was not higher in the third More subtle ways of victim blaming are present in wave was that related to being careful to make the suggestion that those who suffer from bullying comments and behaviours appropriate to the are weak. Comments were made along the lines situation they were in online. We might speculate of: “That’s the way the online world works” and that this is part of a greater awareness of “Just gotta stand up, ain’t ya”. Therefore, solutions missteps that have been committed along the way (see section on turning points) were often made and a realisation by participants that they were around empowering the ‘victim’ and creating less good at this than they might have thought. awareness around their responsibility rather than In other words, with more skill comes greater creating awareness and literacy amongst those awareness of fallibility in terms of the softer, less who were the ‘perpetrators’. easy to pin down social skills. Interesting is that those who went through to the end also felt more Thus in terms of literacy and resilience the most comfortable online in comparison to offline than important contribution the play and workshops those who participated in the first and second made were to steer the conversation away from round of the survey. In addition, they had more this discourse that puts the responsibility with separate offline and online lives than those in the victim and on towards those who do the earlier waves of the survey, though on average all bullying. For example, in the play Simon starts to of the participants indicated that the online was realise that he is to for forwarding the nude no more attractive than the offline (see Figure pictures out of spite when he thinks Eva might 1). This breaks the myth that exists about young have been with another guy. This realisation starts people not knowing how or not wanting to interact to emerge when he is talking to JC and about the face to face anymore. police interview

When talking about resilience in the workshop (Simon) I didn’t put the pictures up. there were a number of interesting observations “The Facebook profile has nothing to do with me. that could be made. The most important one Plus I’m not the one texting her. should be understood as ‘victim blaming’, this I didn’t make it create it or put them up on the net. was persistent and even towards the end present It was just between mates, not only amongst observers of cyberbullying but When I was upset.” also among some of those who had experienced sometimes quite severe forms of it themselves. (Simon as Police Officer) “When you were upset?” One element of this is that somehow the person He jumps at the word. being bullied is to blame for another person “So you intended to hurt her?” publishing what was shared with them in private or that they caused bullying because of the way they behaved or looked. Surprising was that It is not easy to develop the skills to react to there was a certain legitimisation of bullying, and interact with others in digital environments that there was fire when there was smoke. That in ways that do not have negative impacts on is, that there had to be a certain truth behind others. Often individuals are not aware that this the remarks of bullies based on something in is something that has to be learned and does not the person who was on the receiving end. At a come naturally. One consequence is that many certain point a participant said in relation to this of us hurt others online without really realising ‘The truth hurts’. In the play this is present in the that we are, especially when we cannot see the chorus line around Eva’s story: reaction of the other. Literacy that goes beyond just knowing how to push buttons is important in (Chorus) No one the guy for asking this case. it’s always the girl’s fault if she’s like stupid enough / to send it. 15 For example, everyone knows technically how RESILIENCE AND EXPERIENCE to post, forward or like a message but very few We also asked about lived experiences of bullying understand let alone know what to do about and what tactics they had had to deal with it. That the complex situations and power dynamics is, whether they had used tactics that showed that often stand at the basis of severer forms of resilience so that they might prevent it from cyberbullying. happening in the future.

FIGURE 7 EXPERIENCE OF BEING TREATED IN A NASTY OR HURTFUL WAY

Wave I - N=38, Wave II - N =18, Wave III - N=9

In waves two and three there was about one third FIGURE 8 RESILLIENCE IN LIGHT OF NASTY OR who had experienced nasty or hurtful treatment HURTFUL INTERACTIONS ONLINE (ALL THREE WAVES) in the last three months, this was slightly over half for the first wave participants. Most of those who had experienced nasty or hurtful treatment by someone else online had experienced this in all three waves but in the first and third wave of the survey there was a considerable proportion that had experienced this offline as well.

When asked how long they had felt upset most indicated that they either got over it straight away or within a few days, suggesting some emotional resilience though this might also indicate that these were not cases of persistent bullying. In wave two there was one participant who had felt upset for over a month suggesting a more serious situation.

N=22 – participants in the survey who had experienced hurtful or nasty 6 6 It should be noted that some of these will be double counts since behaviour and had been upset by this the same individuals who were treated like this in wave I will also have been the ones indicating this in waves II and III. 16 Figure 8 shows that the most common action These lines from the chorus in the play reflect this was to block the person from contacting them (about half of the participants who experienced (Chorus) online hurtful treatment). While, this might be an And it’s not that simple with blocking them effective strategy for that particular situation it because they can always get to you through other people does not prevent others from taking over and does you know not give the victim control over what the other is and they’re at school with you and friends with you saying or posting about them to others. Stopping and they / know you’re online use of the internet for a while and ignoring the problem are high up the list of actions to be taken, these are reactive tactics that do not deal Resilient strategies are more active and with the perpetrators, making it likely that they preventative such as reporting the problem will victimise someone else. and changing privacy settings. These were undertaken by about a quarter of those who had experienced these interactions across the three waves of the survey. About a fifth turned If you know that someone is abusive to ‘bullying’ themselves by trying to get back at towards you then avoid the whole I situation by simply ignoring or blocking the other person. Of course all these strategies, that person. Furthermore, avoid social perhaps with the exception of the reporting and media as a whole as that will eliminate (the far less common) trying to get the other the whole situation from even happening. person to leave put the onus and responsibility on the person who is on the receiving end of this negative behaviour and leave the victim isolated without an (online) support network. This quote by one of the ensemble members illustrates that coping strategies remain very For real prevention more emphasis needs to much of the ostrich (ignoring or blocking the bully) be placed on education and awareness of the or road runner tactic (‘just’ run away from social potential bullies. The comments of the same media) rather than preventing kind. The problem ensemble member indicated that they developed with these is that ostrich tactics likely lead to the insight into the social skills needed to interact bully trying to find other ways to reach the victim online in a civilised manner. and that bullying might continue to go on without this being visible to the bullied. For example, by spreading and pictures amongst their I realised from this project that it is friends. Or the bully will find another victim, thus essential that you make sure your texts moving the problem onto someone else. are appropriate and that they do not hurt the other persons feeling. The road runner tactic, staying away from social media, is an advice often given by adults and seems reasonable were it not for the fact that In the play this finding translated into resilience our social lives, especially those of young people, being derived from others, trusted others who are are largely managed through these platforms and able to start a dialogue about what is acceptable this is thus likely to lead to (further) isolation. In and not teach people the skills needed for addition, since the bullies are part of their offline interaction online or offline. For example, in the networks they cannot escape. scene between Salema and Sosa, Salema finding support helps her get out of what could be a dangerous grooming situation. 17 How isolated she was is shown by the following lines:

(Chorus) I reached out because I didn’t think anyone in my life understood me like like I got talking to this person

Similarly, Eva’s lack of a support network and isolation, played out in her father’s negative reaction in combination with people who were her friends and fans turning against her, makes it an almost impossible situation to deal with even when an external force (i.e. the police) comes in. The slow realisation amongst Simon, JC, and Andy that they were all partly responsible for the situation that Eva found herself in and Simon reaching out to her is important. Sosa on the other hand deals with the online abuse in a much better way, it seems because she is confident, because she is with a person she trusts to be on her side (MD) and because there is support as well as homophobia online.

18 SOCIAL CONTEXT AND SUPPORT STRUCTURES (MEDIATION)7

This section addresses what role the social The involvement of young people who had context plays in relation to cyberbullying. The experienced cyberbullying or were still question that should be answered here is: experiencing it and had been or still were relatively isolated, was extremely beneficial for What is the role of parents, teachers, understanding how these offline social (support) employers, media, society in preventing networks can help individuals mitigate the or helping people in relation to negative effects of cyberbullying or find a way to negative online interactions? make it stop. For example, one ensemble member reflected on this after the play in the following way:

In the lessons learned from participating in I am lucky as I always have my the play, participants showed that there was friends around to remind me to take awareness of the power others have to make a deep breath and offer reassurance. things worse or stop it from happening even if However, it can be difficult to escape they are not directly involved in the cyberbullying. the clutches of the internet once you start to feel trapped.

Every little thing you say to In the survey, we also asked those who experienced people matters cyberbullying where they had looked for help:

The different effects it has on FIGURE 9 USE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS AND people and how it can change INVOLVEMENT OTHERS AFTER EXPERIENCING BULLYING their life so quickly.

How people deal with it or how people react to blatant bullying online and in the news and such.

There was also a growing awareness of the importance of support networks amongst the N=30 – participants across participants in the workshops, most of whom had the three waves who had overall good support from family and friends. received nasty or hurtful comments (incl. those who were not upset).

7 19 LSE short film on Social Context and Support Figure 9 shows that friends were key when it came The bystander phenomenon occurs when someone to coping with a situation in which the person sees something happening to someone else and had been cyberbullied. Not so much in terms of does not intervene. Often this happens because intervening in the situation themselves (see figure no one else is doing anything, which makes it less 8) but in terms of dealing with the aftermath. All likely that others will intervene in that situation or those who had experienced something negative similar circumstances. This creates what is called had talked to a friend. From this data it is not clear a spiral of silence in which behaviour can escalate whether these discussions when they took place and no one dares speak up if they feel like they were instigated by the person or by the friend or are going against the norm. This can lead to this family or other with whom the discussion was held. negative behaviour being validated, since no one A cautionary note is that these are discussions says anything it must be ok. As a consequence that took place after the fact and might thus not those on the receiving end might feel that they have dealt with the problem or stopped it from must be in the wrong because the behaviour is happening again. seen as acceptable and the comments granted veracity by the silence of others. More worrying is that many indicated that they were not really sure whether they talked to someone and The victim will then not speak out either. The that 8 participants did not talk to anyone about situation becomes even more complicated this happening online. Nevertheless, there is a when it comes to preventing getting involved in more positive picture here than when we looked cyberbullying yourself, even if only indirectly. If at stopping the behaviour from happening. Close the tendency is to see cyberbullying by others as support networks were involved in talking about harmless fun or not really that impactful, we can what happened: parents, carers, partners were all expect this tendency to be even stronger when it mentioned as well as siblings and teachers. Thus, comes to evaluating our own behaviour. while these relationships including the adults in their lives, were not used to deal with a bullying To understand how this works we asked the problem when it happened they were seen as participants the difficult question about whether important to make sense of these behaviours. they had conducted themselves towards others in ways that could be considered bullying or at least nasty and hurtful. A number of participants I learnt that when someone is were open and honest about these experiences. getting cyber bullied, it’s hard for In both the first and the second wave, around 3 them to reach out to other people participants indicated that they had been involved because it’s more of a challenge on in cyberbullying. Of those who participated in the the online world. play and filled out the survey at the end none indicated having participated in this type of behaviour in the last 3 months. In the survey we also asked about bystander situations, that is, where the participants were not This might mean that they learned from the directly involved in the hurtful online interactions workshops or that the participants in the third but were aware of these going on. In the first and wave were individuals who had been victims second wave, around 40% of the participants (16 themselves or bystanders to bullying inflicted on and 10 individuals) had known about something others but not perpetrators. happening to someone else; in the third wave only 3 participants or a third of the participants knew of this happening to another person. Perhaps more interesting is to see whether and, if so, how they got involved in this situation. 20 A more extreme version of this bystander effect is Figure 10 shows that the most popular action was depicted in the play in the scene where people film to report cyberbullying anonymously online; about the attach on MD preventing ambulances from a third of the participants who had been witness coming through and, by posting them, creating to this happening across the three waves said an online wave of homophobic and north/south they did this. It is not clear where or how this was London territorial warfare related abuse. reported or if it resulted in something being done. The survey did not give enough background to (Sosa) white lights of mobile phones know whether these were general posts that were and screens offensive of specific attacks on someone they and i can’t believe my eyes knew. Encouraging is that supporting the victim, they’re just standing there letting them know that this was not ok, was also not helping high. It was especially high in the second wave filming her here which came after the second round of workshops dying and on the brixton pavement where this topic was addressed.

FIGURE 10 ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN AS BYSTANDER

N= 29 – Across three waves.

Similarly, explicitly intervening by telling the More concerning, considering that this was likely person to stop was also indicated as important. to have happened to someone they knew, is that Even if this was a result of social desirability, in it was very unlikely that they would talk to adults that they had learned that this was the ‘right’ within their (supposedly) trusted network about answer, it is still encouraging to see awareness of this. Cyberbullying seems to be something that is the importance of speaking up. Having expressed solved between peers or relying on the platforms this as something they (should) have done will and reporting systems which often do not follow make it more likely that they will act that way in up. The former is more likely to be effective in the future. Doing nothing or telling a friend are preventing it from happening again in the future strategies that most likely do not prevent or deal than the latter. with the issue itself. 21 In the play, these strategies were reflected in that the young people find solutions for and between themselves. Even in Eva’s online case of sexual harassment where the police got involved, in the end it was Simon and herself who worked things out. It would not be good if the participants and the audience of the play would go away with the idea that this is the best strategy for solution and prevention. Involving adults that are associated with the young people that are bullying and being bullied is more effective for prevention, resilience and creating awareness around acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour at school and in the home.

However, in the workshops, there was little confidence in teachers or parents being able to do something. Parents (of the bullies) were seen as part of the problem because they would defend their child, and teachers were often seen as powerless to deal with what was going on behind the screen even if this was taking place at school. That is to say, involving adults who are close to the situation will not work if the young people involved are not the ones who instigate or are involved in the mediation by these adults nor when the adults become part of the problem by ‘picking sides’.

22 TURNING POINTS8

This last section focusses on what are perceived When asked an open question about why they as effective strategies to turn cyberbullying around participated in cyberbullying, one aspect was or preventing it from happening or escalating in jealousy reflecting the attention paid to revenge the first place. porn at school, at the workshop and the play. Some participants indicated that their own cyberbullying What or who could/has made it possible to was a reaction to negative or hurtful behaviour change a negative situation? When and how from others. This confirms research which shows would intervening be most effective? that those who are bullied often turn to bullying themselves. As indicated before, in the earlier workshops the discussions focussed not on preventing They started bullying me cyberbullying from happening or escalating in so I did it back the first place but instead often suggested that victims disconnect from the digital world or avoid social media thus becoming invisible to the I responded back up to the persons bullies. ‘Just ignore it’ was a typical remark made who first made a hurtful comment by one of the participants. of myself and a friend.

It should be emphasised again how understandable but also problematic the bystander effect is. The behaviour of a group the person is part of is often Neither retaliation nor ostrich tactics are likely to not seen as problematic or is justified as not turn the situation around. They are instead likely being really harmful. to lead to escalation. Prevention thus starts by preventing those experiences from occurring in the first place, intervening early on, rather than I’m in a group chat with some friends waiting for the bullied to turn bully and bullies to and one of them everyone makes up the ante to achieve the desired reaction from fun of. I don’t take part in it and it’s their peers and others. just banter among friends. It’s not harmful to my knowledge. Not all justified their bullying or that of others based on retaliation or on it being harmless, This ignoring the hurt to make it stop is an ostrich some realised that what they had done or were tactic; individuals know it is going on but put their doing was bad and sought to remedy it. head in the sand and pretend not to see it. Clearly neither this ostrich tactic nor the ‘people need to It was face to face I was just toughen up’ response is effective in preventing or being a really bad person stopping cyberbullying. at the time.

8 23 LSE short film on Turning Points (Simon) I hate that mum has to be in here with me. It was in a joke way, but they misinterpreted it. I apologised Why couldn’t they have spoken to me privately? after I can feel every bit of her disappointment cutting into my skin. Outside and within. When asked what had made them stop feelings It’s so fucking mortifying, of , retaliation and blocking made these I think actually dying particular instances stop. Thus the most likely right now would be better to prevent cyberbullying from reoccurring in the than sat with her hurt future is making people understand that there is and disappointment a great risk in posting in the spur of an emotional boring down into me. moment (without thinking about how others might receive this) and feelings of remorse based on Nevertheless, intervention by others was not a past behaviour and others reactions to this. reason for bullies to stop which contradicts with what those not involved thought was most likely In the play, the power of is to help the victims. expressed by Simon upon his mother’s reaction to finding out from the police:

FIGURE 11 EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO TURN BULLYING AROUND BY BYSTANDERS

Figure 11 confirms that what participants consider However, it was encouraging that those who effective is not what bullies indicated made participated who answered the survey in the them stop. Police intervention was seen as the third wave had clearly gotten the message that most effective, even though it is a heavy handed mediation and making the bully understand the approach, only appropriate for the most severe of impact of their behaviour would be most effective. cases and only when things have escalated.

24 Also encouraging was the increased realisation In fact, in the play close others who were not that bystanders are guilty when they do not friends (e.g. parents and teachers) were relatively intervene and that teachers could offer an absent in the lives of young people with the independent party for mediation. exception of a very negative reaction by Eva and Simon’s parents. Two answers continue to cause concern: parents were considered unlikely to be effective if they However, when asked to do some blue skies intervened and there was still an insistence on thinking about what could be done more than the responsibility of the person who is bullied what is already available to prevent bullying to ‘just ignore’ what is going on. As mentioned from happening in the future, a different picture earlier this might work to stop a specific instance emerged. Those who went through all rounds of bullying but deals neither with the underlying of the workshops were more positive about the problem which might take place across a variety whole range of interventions than those who of platforms including face to face, nor with the dropped out. More open discussions were the prevention of future behaviours of bullies picking most popular, as well as awareness raising on other victims. campaigns and involving schools and parents. This corresponds to what we know from research with Some of this might be a reflection of what was in parents where they also see more involvement the play where police intervention and friendship from the school and open discussions as the best turning potential victims away from a groomer are way forward. Regulation and intervention with offered as solutions, rather than the involvement platforms were seen as least useful. of teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

FIGURE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREVENT CYBERBULLYING

25 Thus, while practice focusses on passive strategies such as ignoring, or negative active strategies such as bullying back, the ideal world imagined by the young people who participated in the Cyberscene project looks different. A world in which cyberbullying might not happen is one in which adults and young people are engaged in conversations about what is acceptable and what is not and where there is a broader literacy training about the digital world and how to stay safe and behave there.

The challenge for educational programmes and storytelling is to give young people and adults the examples to illustrate and the tools to create this potential future word of dialogue and understanding.

26 S U M M A R Y AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Our relationships are increasingly mediated This means that it attracts young people with through digital technologies. This brings with it broad online experiences and not just those who opportunities of connecting to people that we were already convinced that cyberbullying was a could not have gotten to know before and to stay real problem. However, the participants of later in touch with loved ones, solidify bonds even when workshops and the ensemble cast members we are not physically close to them. Unfortunately, were more likely to have had experience with not all human interactions are positive and more severe forms of cyberbullying. This certainly the digital mediation of our relationships is no makes for good theatre but might mean that the different. Many of us have experienced hurtful experience of the ‘average’ young person is not behaviour online either personally or by observing reflected amongst that group. it being directed at someone else. What is less discussed is that many of us have are part of Recommendation allowing a negative online climate to persist by not intervening in the negative actions of others Hold onto and learn from those who participate or by (unwittingly) hurting others or excluding in the first rounds of the workshops who them from relationships. There is still a lot of are likely to have broader experiences and misunderstanding about what cyberbullying is, reflect an audience that is not convinced that who does it, what its impact is and what can be cyberbullying is a problem (i.e. the people that done to prevent it from escalating with terrible really should be influenced through the play consequences in some cases. Therefore, this and educational materials) project and its evaluation focussed on five key questions and the improvements in the understanding of young people and the audience Q1.What do we think about ICTs in general, what of the play in relation to these. Below there are are the benefits, what are the risks, how does our a few recommendations based on the lessons social environment see ICTs or influences us in learned in the project for all five, plus the more interaction on and with them in a certain way? general question about the effectiveness of social theatre in this context. Many young people participating in the workshops and the play developed more sophisticated Q0.What are the benefits of using social theatre discourses on their complicated relationships with with co-design? Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). From repeating what they thought they First a general comment about the benefits of should be saying in relation to cyberbullying using social theatre with bottom up creation of they started seeing how ICTs have become story lines in relation to cyberbullying in particular. indispensable to everyone’s lives and that, The most important benefit of this approach is because of this, it is not that easy to disconnect that it attracts not only those interested in or with from the digital world if something on it was not experience with cyberbullying but also those who of your liking. 27 are interested in theatre and production. Recommendations This led some to conclude that there was no real cyberbullying in their environment. Interacting online has positive and negative aspects, reflecting everyday lives. ICTs have Another persistent problem in understanding become indispensable to participation in cyberbullying is that it was seen as being society. Neither is sufficiently recognised in perpetrated by a single evil cyberbully who (adult) public discourse around cyberbullying. attacks a single victim rather than that of a social process whereby a group of individuals forwards, Workshops, educational material, media and likes and jokes about the hurtful messages and storytelling (e.g. theatre) should give space images related to an individual. The reality of to both the good and the bad of the digital cyberbullying is that there are almost always more world. The emphasis should not just be on people involved and not all with evil intentions. cyberbullying but also on why (young) people In the play, like in the news, the smaller acts are drawn to and can no longer live without of took a back stage to the more the relationships that are mediated through. dramatic ones (death threats, posting nudes, grooming for terrorism). This is understandable because micro-aggressions that accumulate over time are of lesser entertainment value and more Q2. What do we know about cyberbullying, where difficult to stage but is problematic in terms of does it take place, what is its likelihood and what the educational value. is the severity of its consequences, who is most likely to suffer from it, who is most likely to be the Recommendations bully? The definition of cyberbullying by young people Cyberbullying is often talked about in relation to is confused, focussing on extreme cases with its most extreme form, the kinds of cases that lead evil perpetrators and passive victims. A clear to suicide or sexual exploitation of minors. In the message needs to be delivered to rectify this. workshops, one of the biggest gains in awareness was that cyberbullying consists not only of easily Everyday bullying, that is persistent micro- recognisable acts of violence or aggression. aggressions, should get the bulk of attention However, most cyberbullying consists of smaller in workshops and educational material acts that are perceived as ‘just fun’ as well as and media and other story tellers should invisible acts of exclusion from shared activities include these messages alongside the more (including gossip). These accumulate over time spectacular, news worthy, and extreme and undermine the self-confidence of the victim examples of cyberbullying. making them believe that it is partly their fault. While there was an increased understanding of this, the definitions of cyberbullying that young Q3. What are the skills needed to be able to people gave continued to be disconnected from navigate the online world taking up opportunities their everyday experiences. It was hard for them and avoiding risks that lead to harm from to make the link between the extreme cases they cyberbullying? heard about in the media and what they saw happening around them. It was much easier to People see interactions with others online as give isolated examples than it was to recognise something that is not subject to training or skills, how what they considered relatively innocent something that we all just naturally know how ‘banter’ and joking’ might be received as small to do. In the workshops, participants suggested acts of aggression accumulating overtime and dealing with cyberbullying in a passive and leading to severe consequences. 28 post-hoc way rather than actively and preventatively. In addition, many started with Workshops and educational material should victim blaming justifying cyberbullying on the focus on shifting from victim blaming and basis that victims ask for it due to their behaviour/ reactive strategies to focussing on collective style choices. They suggested solutions that relied prevention and social communicative skills. on ostrich tactics (e.g. ignoring it, developing Similarly, media discourses and storytelling a thick skin since it is part of online life) and should place responsibility on everyone who roadrunner tactics (e.g. disconnecting from the interacts within social spaces, making clear internet, blocking the person). Participants were that we have to learn how to cohabit digital more aware of the harder, technical skills based spaces in constructive ways and that what we solutions on the part of the receiver of hurtful say or do not say can hurt others. It should be interactions (e.g. privacy settings, reporting made clear that not doing anything is just as abuse) than of those based on softer, social bad as actively engaging in bullying. skills of the originators of these interactions (e.g. insight into: how messages are interpreted, the inescapability or 24/7 nature of cyberbullying, an Q4. What is the role of parents, teachers, inability to delete something once it is posted). employers, media, society in preventing or helping people in relation to negative online interactions? Encouraging is that while in the beginning, the advice to completely disconnect was often Many participants in the workshops felt that suggested, later on this was no longer seen young people are on their own and have to by the majority as the best option because it rely on friends when it comes to dealing with ignores how important mediated relationships cyberbullying. Parents and teachers were seen as are for belonging and connectedness to the not aware that this was happening, and, if they communities we are part of and thus our well- were aware, of taking sides or interfering clumsily being (see Q1). There was evidence that, in the in ways making things worse. There was very little end, the participants steered away from victim discussion and understanding of the role of these blaming, though this might have been because different adult actors in recognising cyberbullying those who stuck with the project had not taken early on or in preventing things from escalating. this position in the first place. Even at the end Only in extreme cases, with legal implications, there was more emphasis on helping the bullied to such as child pornography (grooming) or suicide resist or prevent bullying rather than on teaching attempts was adult intervention seen as inevitable awareness and literacy to (potential) bullies. and necessary. Then tough solutions such as cutting off all connectivity (mostly for the victim), The play managed to move away from victim grounding or bringing the police in to enforce the blaming and technical solutions while still law were justified. recognising that these are important in people’s understanding of cyberbullying. The play echoed these impressions by young people, with adults interfering only after things Recommendations had really gotten out of hand but being invisible otherwise. In many ways, both the participants There is a tendency to blame victims of in the workshops and the play itself echoed cyberbullying for not being tough enough and sensationalist discourses in the media and moral for solutions to emphasise technical skills panic ideas circulating in wider society about that are unlikely to prevent cyberbullying from the detrimental impact of digitisation on human happening again in different contexts because interaction, ignoring the more subtle ways in which they do not deal with the social causes. 29 social reality in combination with technological early on is the hardest thing to do because design creates spaces in which toxic forms cyberbullying is often recognised only when it is of interaction exist alongside constructive too late; early opportunities to acknowledge and communication. stop our own or others’ micro-aggressions from escalating go unrecognised. Taking responsibility for everyday condoning (i.e. lurking, not Recommendations interfering) or contributing to bullying by others There is a severe lack of understanding (i.e. forwarding liking messages) was also key and discussion around how adults and but difficult. Recognising bystander effects was wider society can and should be involved perhaps the most important lesson learned for in preventing cyberbullying amongst young the participants. Unfortunately, this aspect was people. The emphasis is on getting involved not taken up as much in the play itself. when things have passed a point of no return. The play depicted extreme versions of the lives of Public discourse (e.g. media, theatre etc) and certain young people. Many can probably relate educational materials (workshops, digital to these but, in terms of cyberbullying, examples skills training) should incorporate discussions such as nudes ending up on porn sites, death about how parents and teachers can be part threats and grooming for religious extremism are of preventing and dealing with cyberbullying. far removed from what many experience and are This needs to be done in a collaborative way; involved in in their everyday lives. These extreme listening to young people’s opinions and cases make for great theatre but are less efficient experiences and involving adults in situations in terms of the lessons that can be learned for that range from smaller acts of bullying to most prevalent, everyday bullying. These ignore more extreme cases. how complicated it is to recognise and stop cyberbullying when it is taking place amongst your friends, at your school or in any organisation that we are a part of and have a stake in. Q5. What or who could/has made it possible to change a negative situation? When and how Recommendations would intervening be most effective? There is not enough emphasis on prevention One of the goals of the Cyberscene project was and early intervention in cyberbullying. This to see if the workshops and play could create needs to be looked more to recognise the awareness of the importance of intervening early long trajectories that lead up to escalating on to prevent cyberbullying from happening at all. cyberbullying so that people know that these This requires: an awareness and recognition of things need to be recognised early on and what cyberbullying looks like at these early stages discussed openly. (Q2); the digital and social skills to understand how to interact with others online and manage Workshops and educational material should technological features in a way that makes focus on early intervention and smaller acts cyberbullying less likely (Q3); understanding of cyberbullying and the complications of that the digital is embedded in the complexity of interfering in existing power relationships as everyday life (Q1) and that, therefore, the existing individuals with a stake in these. Media and relationships and structures need to be part of not storytelling should include scenarios where only the intervention in but also the prevention of the wider life world of young people figures cyberbullying (Q4) . more prominently, so that the contexts within which common forms of cyberbullying flourish Getting across the importance of intervening become clear. PROJECT R E F E R E N C E MATERIAL

LSE SHORT FILMS MASTERCLASS AND ROYAL HAYMARKET THEATRE MATERIAL Helsper, E.J. & Rattee, J. in collaboration with Masterclass (2017) Film Shorts Cyberscene Jenkins, E. (2019) The Theatre Play Cookies. project. Film available at: http://masterclass.org.uk/ view/cookies-the-film Literacy and Resilience. Available at: https://www.youtube.com Masterclass (2019) Cookies educational watch?v=FiQzKA6owsk&feature=youtu.be resources. Available at: https://masterclass.org.uk/view/ Awareness Knowledge And Risk Perception. cookies-educational-resources- Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gkcc11i9WwU&feature=youtu.be Masterclass (2018) Cyberscene project information. Attitudes And Perceptions. Available at: https://masterclass.org.uk/view/ Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ about-the-cyberscene-project- watch?v=r9avwIS08kA&feature=youtu.be

Social context and support. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=HNLz0OLVHeg&feature=youtu.be

Turning points. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ed0WDXyd-nU&feature=youtu.be

With special thanks to Ludmila Lupinacci for the design of this report. 31 CYBERSCENE PROJECT EVALUATION REPORT